Line appliance.



0. J. LOFQUIST.

LINE APPLlANCE.

APPupAnou FILED MAR. 4. 1916.

Patented Feb. 13, 1917.

FATENT @FWQE.

OLOF J. LOFQUIST, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

LINE APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLOF J. LOFQUIST, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LineAppliances; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a device especially adapted for use in thetightening or taking up of the slack in lines which are stretchedbetween two points such for instance, as clothes lines. It is the objectand purpose of my invention to provide a device of this character whichmay be quickly and easily applied to the line and through a simpleoperation effect the tightening of the line to any desired degree oftension. A further object of the invention consists in the production ofa novel means for retaining the device on the line when it is not in useso that it will not become lost and will always be in position to serveits purpose. Various other objects and purposes together with noveldetails of construction will appear as the description progresses of thepreferred embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing,in which;

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the application of the device to aline.

Fig. 2 is a plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but taken from the opposite side.

Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the severalviews of the drawing.

In the construction as shown there is provided a drum 1 having acircumflirential groove between the flanges 2 and 3, the latter flangebeing wider than flange 2 so that it may be cut to provide a slot toreceive the end of a handle 4 which is permanently attached to the drumin any suitable manner. Adjacent its free end and at one edge the handlehas a diagonal notch 5 cut therein and between the notch and the drum apin 6 projects from the handle in the same direction as the projectionof the drum from the handle.

The drum also has a diametrically disposed slot cut in it as indicatedat 7, said slot passing through the flange 2 and substantially to thecenter of said drum. A

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, rear.

Application filed March 4, 1916. Serial No. 82,219.

member 8 of spring material is attached at one end to the drum at oneside of the slot and extends thereover, its free end 9 passing adistance beyond the flange 2 as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. It will also benoted that the location of the slot 7 is at right angles to that of thehandle 4.

In practice, the implement just described is applied to a line which isloose or slack between its points of attachment, this line beingindicated at 10, the spring member 9 moving outwardly suflicient thatthe line is received within the slot 7. The application to the line isreadily accomplished by merely hooking the end 9 of the spring memberthree-quarters turn and thereafter with every additional half turn. Whenenough of the slack has been taken up by the Winding of the line aroundthe drum 1 the handle is brought adjacent the line and it is carriedthrough the diagonal slot 5 either over or under the pin 6 as may bedesired, this pin being of utility to hold the line within the slotespecially when in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3.

By reason of the retaining member, when the line is unwound the deviceis held upon the line and does not become lost. In practice. especiallywith a clothes line, it is do sirabhthat when not in use it shall beslackened but when it is in use this slack should be taken up. Betweenthe times when it is in use the device shown will be merely retained onthe line ready at any time to serve its function.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, a drum provided witha circumferential groove and with a diametrically disposed slot in oneface, a handle attached to the opposite face of the drum, said handlehaving a diagonally disposed slot in one edge adjacent its free end, anda pin projecting from the handle, in the same direction as the drum andlocated between the drum and the slot in the handle. n

2. In a device of the character described;

a drum provided with a circumferential groove and with a slot in oneface, a handle secured to the uppesita faee of the drum, said handlehaving a slot adjacent its free end, and a spring retaining memberattached at one end to the drum, extending across the slot therein andhaving its free end extending beyond the edge of the drum.

3. In a device of the character described, a drum provided with acircumferential groove and a diametrically disposed slot in one face, ahandle secured to the opposite face of the drum, said handle having adiagonally disposed slot in one edge adjacent the free end of thehandle, a pin prejecting from the handle in the same direction as thedrum and between the drum and the slot in the handle, and a springretaining member attached at one end to the drum, passive acroes theslot in the drum and having its free end extending beyond the edge ofthe drum.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

()LOF J. LOFQUIST.

fiopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

